Time to Start Thinking Harvest.

The end of August is almost here, and we are never too sure what the weather for September and October will be bringing to us.  Anyone home gardening should be considering what to harvest now, and what can wait a bit longer.  Our summer has not been overly heated, but we never did get our annual monsoon, so dry, dry, dry.  Many gardens probably did well with constant secondary watering, and care; many did not fare well.

Thanks to our friend Steve, he made sure we received yellow squash as often as possible.  Even though he was disappointed in their lack of growth size, I was able to make many a delicious squash quick bread to share back with him.  Quick bread made with squash?  Well sure, I bet you have had zucchini bread, well that’s a squash.  Simply use my recipe from the June 29, 2022 article, in the San Juan Record, or from my food blog, and substitute yellow squash for zucchini.  If the squash is not over ripe, the skin can be shredded into the bowl along with the insides, or peel it off if you’re unsure.  Just make sure to remove the stem and root ends, and throw those into the compost bin.

This got me to wondering about the various tribes of Utah’s indigenous peoples, and what they refer to as The Three Sisters: squash, beans and corn.  The most important aspect to these three food items is…water!  I have written many a time about Navajo recipes, even one on Hopi, but not on the Paiute or Ute, and finding them mentioned in southwestern native cookbooks seems to be nonexistent.  The state of Utah is named after the Utes, and information from Utah.com states, “The name "Utah" is believed to be derived from the Ute word "yuttah," which means "people of the mountains"”.  National Geographic states, “It comes from the Spanish nickname for the Ute Native American tribe, “Yuta”. But others say the name could come from the Ute word “yutas”, which is said to mean “the people,” or “people of the mountains.””   When it comes to researching, there are very few books available about the Paiutes and Utes, so most of my information comes from roaming the internet.  So, apologies to the descendants of both tribal cultures if I get something incorrect. 

Speaking of roaming, both Paiute and Ute people are descended from Numic-speaking hunter-gatherers who migrated east from Southern California around 1000 AD.  While they shared linguistic and cultural traditions, eventually, due to traveling to, and setting up home, in different states, the tribes developed individually distinct qualities.  One important quality remained for both though, the need to be near water sources, for how else can food be grown?

This brings it all round to The Three Sister of squash, beans and corn that not only can be cooked together, but can be harvested and stored to last throughout the winter months.

Unfortunately, the only recipes I could find, relating to Paiutes and Utes, were too modernized to be authentic.  Ingredients that grew native to Utah may no longer exist, or recipes list ingredients that are more readily available in stores, then to go foraging for. Take, for example, herbs native to Utah: common yarrow, yampah, sagebrush, purple sage, globe mallow, blue lupine, thread leaf ragwort, fleabane and fern bush. Now different types of sage are readily available in stores, but the rest, not so much, unless home grown or foraged.

So, what herbs can be purchased, or even grown in home gardens?  Of course, sage is number one on the list, after that is: lemon thyme, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, chives, mint and lavender.  Sounds like we have a Mediterranean theme going on in this herbal garden.  All of these herbs are considered aromatics, and enhance any food they are being paired with. 

Well, I have some lovely yellow squash sitting on the kitchen counter, and while I will cheat a little by using canned pinto beans and whole kernel corn, here’s my take on Three Sisters Stew.  Oh, while this can be done on the stovetop, about an hour of cooking on medium-high heat; I chose to use a crock pot instead.  Like I have mentioned many a time, low and slow is the way to go, as it gives each ingredient, not just time to cook thoroughly, but to infuse, and be infused, with surrounding flavors.

 

Three Sisters Stew

(In honor of all the indigenous people of Utah)

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow squash, peeled and cubed (butternut or acorn squash are good as well)

1 (15.25 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained or rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. each dried sage, thyme and rosemary

¼ cup pinyon (pine) nuts

4 cups vegetable broth

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a 2-quart crock pot, and pour vegetable broth over all.  No need to stir together until fully cooked.  Set on low for 4 hours.

After 4 hours on low.

All Ingredients into Crock Pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Makes 4 servings, or 6 if being used as a side dish.

Notes:

Stove top method: Do same preparation as above, but into a 2 to 3-quart cooking pot.  Set on medium-high heat, for one hour, occasionally stirring to keep from boiling over, or food sticking to bottom of pot.

Corn – fresh can be used, or, if using frozen, make sure to thaw before adding in.  Adding in frozen, the corn will contain additional water which will dilute the broth.

Beans – soak dried overnight can be used, but the cooking time will be increased, and increase vegetable broth to six cups, instead of four.

Herbs – yes, you can use some of the others that are listed within the article, instead of what I have used.

Spicy?  A few recipes did add diced Hatch or jalapeno chilies, so up to personal tastes if the stew is to be mild, medium or hot.

Tomatoes?  A few recipes did add diced tomatoes, however, I was looking to create something more geared towards the indigenous cultures, than Italian cuisine.

A Complete Meal of 3 Sisters Stew plus Fried Flounder.

 

Basically, try my recipe first, and hope you enjoy it.  After that, have more adventure in your own kitchen by adding other ingredients such as chilies or tomatoes.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

Meatballs Meet The Old Spanish Trail.

 This is a combination of my travel and food blogs.

“Into the great wide open

Under them skies of blue

Out in the great wide open

A rebel without a clue”

Into the Great Wide Open, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1991

Since around June, hubby and I have taken short riding trips, with our dog, just to get away from the town.  Like the song lyrics just read, into the great wide open, under the skies of blue; and San Juan County certainly has a monopoly on both.  Round and round the trails of Lisbon Valley; Steen Road where Charlie Steen had his Mi Vida mine.  Crossing over Highway 191 onto old highway 191, driving past the abandoned Monticello CCC Camp location and coming out at Wilson’s Arch. No matter how many times we travel these parts, we always notice something new.

 

Recently, a dirt trail past Casa Colorado Rock caught our attention.  Oh, we already knew the trail was there, seen it before, say, “One of these days we’ll check it out.”  Why did we notice it more this time?  There was a new sign, and we knew it was new, cause it was all shiny new, and didn’t see it anytime before, put up by the BLM.  Sign reads, “Las Tinajas Water Holes, Bureaus of Land Management, Old Spanish National Historic Trail”.  This is so new-new that we could not even find it listed on the BLM, nor The Old Spanish Trail Association, websites.  Lots of references to the Las Tinajas Waterfall and Swimming Holes in Puerto Rico though.  Even asked Google AI which stated, “The BLM has no new established trails in San Juan County, UT relating to The Old Spanish Trail.”  Good thing I always take a camera on our jaunts, so could document what we had found.

 

So, the trailhead is off Steen Road, near Casa Colorado Rock; now that’s the name the BLM has listed on their information board about this formation.  If you visit my travel blog, February and May 2014, I wrote extensively about Steen Road and the formations along, and seen from, it.  In 1874, Willian Henry Jackson photographed the same areas, and named the formation "Cave Rocks / Sierra La Sal / Dry Valley”.  Closer to Highway 191 is where the Hook and Ladder OHV Trailhead can be accessed as well. 

 

But I digress, the trail to the water holes is one-mile, round trip, over very sandy ground, and it gets steeper the closer to the water holes you get.  There are no areas of shade along the trail, so, being in the great wide open, wearing a hat; loose, light colored clothing, hiking shoes and carrying lots of water is a must.  A side trail to Casa Colorado Rock brings you to more shaded areas, so bring a picnic for a restful lunch.

This is a combination travel and food article, so that was the travel part, and here comes the food.  Since this trail is an established part of The Old Spanish Trail, it is quite appropriate to introduce a Spanish recipe that has become a staple in Mexico, Albóndigas Guisadas aka stewed meatballs.

During the 6^th to 15^th centuries, the Moors, of the Middle East, inhabited and influenced southwestern Europe, which included Spain.  When the Spanish explorers came to Mexico, and the more southern regions of North America, they too influenced the people already dwelling there.  Albondigas was one culinary influence in which it can be served as a savory stew, or a full bodied, comforting soup of meatballs, vegetables and rich broth.

The word "albondigas" comes from the Arabic word "al-bunduq," meaning "hazelnut" or "small round object," which refers to the shape of the meatballs.  Since the 15^th century, the recipe has gone through many changes throughout Spain and Mexico, however, tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers and olive oil (combination known as “sofrito”) remain the foundation for the broth.  This type of recipe is similar to ones from Italy, but the seasonings of cumin and chili powder give albondigas its Spanish signature.

After the meatballs are browned, they are finished off by cooking in the broth.  For a stew, the broth/sauce is much thicker, and can be served over rice or mashed potatoes. In soup form, the broth is thinner, and vegetables of zucchini, potatoes, and carrots can be added.  An ingredient, sold under the brand name “Maggi Jugo”, is a rich brown liquid whose equivalent is dark soy sauce, and is a must for the broth, whether the product itself, or using the soy sauce as a substitute.

For the onions, white or red (purple) can be used, or a combination.  The same for the bell peppers, all one color of red, yellow or green, or a combination.  First cut the vegetables into strips (julienne), then cut the strips in half before adding to the sauce mixture.  The first recipe will be a stove top method which will be quick cooking.  The second will be for the crock pot which I have found creates a better dish.  The slower cooking allows the meatballs to absorb the flavors of the sauce it is cooking in; and the entire dish becomes richer and more flavorful.

 

Albóndigas Guisadas (Spanish Stewed Meatballs)

Meatball ingredients:

2 and ½ lbs. lean ground beef or 2 lbs. beef + ½ lb. ground pork

2 Tbsp. Maggi Jugo (dark soy sauce can be substituted)

1/2 cup minced onions

2 Tbsp. beef stock

2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup plain, dried bread crumbs

1 egg

For frying: 1/2 cup olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups onions and peppers, julienned and halved

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder (mild or medium)

1 can (10 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (4 oz.) tomato paste

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with chilies (mild or medium)

1 cup beef stock

¼ cup Maggi Jugo (dark soy sauce can be substituted)

Preparation:

For the meatballs, mix all meatball ingredients, except olive oil, thoroughly, in a large bowl.  Roll mixture into two-inch balls; makes about 3 dozen.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat, add meatballs and brown for 3 minutes; turn over and brown again for 3 minutes.  Do not drain oil.

 

For the sauce, in a large pot, 4 to 5-quart, on medium-high heat, add all sauce ingredients and cook for 20 minutes, stir occasionally.  Add browned meatballs, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 15 minutes; uncover, stir bottom to top, cook additional 10 minutes.  Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes.

Makes six servings.

Crock Pot Method

In a 4-quart crock pot, mix together all sauce ingredients, set on low.  Create meatballs as in stove top directions, add to sauce in crock pot, including the oil (full of added flavor).  Let cook for six hours before serving over white rice or mashed potatoes.

 

A huge thank you to my taste testers at the Monticello 7-11/Exxon; your positive and helpful opinions made this worthwhile.

Looking for something in the sandwich genre,  Preheat oven to 400F.  Place six meatballs, plus veggies and sauce on one half of a large sized Naan bread.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the filling. Fold the other half of the Naan bread over the filling, place on an aluminum foil covered pan, place in oven for 15 minutes.  Now that's going to be one heck of a satisfying sandwich!  

Mary Cokenour 

 

Good Heavens That is Good Gravy.

Gravy making, why does it seem to be so complicated? Growing up, the only gravy I remember having at a meal was at Thanksgiving time, and it was not homemade, but came out of a can. During my first marriage I would watch my, then, mother-in-law make a slurry of flour, garlic powder and water, pour it into the meat drippings to create a lumpy, oily mess. Not very good examples for making my own gravy, and thus avoided the issue whenever I could. Thank you, thank you, thank you for whomever invented the crock pot; not just for the easy cooking it afforded the home cook, but for the luscious stock that could be made into a stupendous gravy.

"Impossible!", you say; "Cannot make gravy without drippings from roasted meat or poultry!", you say...yep, you can.  First off, I will tell you how by using the crock pot; secondly from drippings out of a roasting pan, without adding butter, cream or extra flour.  Being fair here by giving the choice of crock pot or roasting pan, and not absently dismissing the traditional roasting method.  Now sit back, relax and have a good read...

Scenario: Making pot roast in a crock pot; put your meat in first, but before you put it in, coat it liberally with flour (this is all you will need for that gravy later on); put in your veggies, seasonings and then pour two cups of beef stock over it all; cover, set it and forget it till done.  If making poultry, use chicken stock instead, but use the same coating with flour and veggies over the top process.

 

Gravy brings a pot roast dinner all together.

The meat is done, put it on a platter to rest with 3/4 of the vegetables.  Looking into the crock pot, you will see an oily sheen on top; that is the oil that came out of your meat or poultry during the cooking process.  Do not worry, we are going to get rid of that easily, and not lose any flavor.

 

Pureed vegetables will thicken the gravy.

The liquid inside the pot is also thin; the flour you coated the meat in was not enough to thicken, but just enough to help with the process.  The 1/4 portion of vegetables that you left inside is going to be your true thickener.  What is neat about this is that anyone that refuses to eat their veggies, but loves gravy, is going to eat veggies and not even know.  Well, they will if you tell them, but we are keeping this a secret, right? Of course, you can leave bits of veggies if you like, so long as no one you are serving is a problem eater.

 

Bits of veggies hidden in the gravy.

 

Now, you all know how I love my immersion blender, but if you still have not purchased your own (why not!?!), then a regular blender will do.  Begin pulverizing the vegetables inside the pot, being careful not to raise the blender too high and splash the liquid around the kitchen.  Not only will the soon to be gravy be thickening up, but you will see it turn to a rich color; you will be tempted to serve it as is, but patience grasshopper, patience.

 

 

To get the oil out of your gravy, pour the amount of pureed liquid you need into a plastic container and place into the freezer for one hour.  Take the container out of the freezer and you will see that the fats have solidified on top; carefully spoon them out and do not forget to scrape it off the sides of the container too. You will probably have a lot more gravy left over which can be defatted, frozen and reheated when needed; because you did not use any dairy in its making, the chance of separating is none. 

Place in freezer safe plastic container.

 

Scrape off the fat solids.

 

 

 

To serve, just warm up the gravy; no further seasonings need to be added, especially salt which would have come from the stock you initially used when cooking your meat.  If you really need to have a smooth gravy, go ahead and strain out all the little bits that the blender could not pulverize.  We like it rustic; it proves that it is homemade, not out of some can or jar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The color of the gravy depends on what vegetables were used during the cooking process. More carrots and tomatoes give a redder coloring.

Ok, now for the roasted part of this post; you are going to need a deep roasting pan for this process.  Either use a rack to lay your meat or poultry on, or a very thick layer of cut up vegetables will work too.  In the pan, lay out all your cut up vegetables and sprinkle a little flour over all of them; pour your stock over all; then place the rack with meat, or the meat itself on top and roast until done.  Oh, do not forget to season your meat or poultry; as the fat melts, it will take some of the seasoning with it and add it to the veggies down below.  Now just follow the same gravy making process as I explained for the crock pot; you just might want to transfer your liquid and 1/4 portion to a deep bowl first though. 

How come I did not use any water in the crock pot or roasting pan?  The vegetables gave me all I needed; during the cooking process, they sweated out their excess moisture, so adding water at the beginning would have thinned out the gravy way too much at the end.

Making gravy is not so hard after all; just remember to not additional seasonings until after the process is done and you have tasted the end product.  You will be very surprised.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

 

 

Beans and Beef Does Not Always Equal Chili.

There are too many times I stand and stare into the depths of the refrigerator and freezer wondering what to make for dinner. That is also how I come up with many of my spontaneous recipes; boredom, frustration and a "I wonder if..." attitude. Even Josh, the butcher at Blue Mountain Foods, has seen me staring at the meats and poultry, mumbling to myself.  “Can I help you with something?”, he will ask, and I usually respond with, “I am contemplating.”.

Holding a two and one-half pound package of stew beef (beef cubes) in my hand, I wondered what in the world to do with it. Not beef stew again, just did that two weeks ago; not chili, just not in the mood for it and just made it last month anyway. Too much same old, same old! Then I remembered my Taste of Home winning recipe, "Beefy Barbecue Macaroni", but dealing with making cheese sauce and cooking pasta seemed too much trouble.  Sometimes I am just my own worst enemy, especially when it comes to cooking.

Well, this recipe appeared in two separate issues of Taste of Home, and in two of their cookbooks, so guess they liked it as much as my family did.  So, not to be a tease, here is that recipe before I continue on.

 

Beefy Barbecue Macaroni 

 

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

3-1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp. butter

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Additional cheddar cheese, optional

Preparation:

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the macaroni, barbecue sauce, pepper.

In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour over the macaroni mixture; gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Now back to the main meat (pun intended) of this article.

 

Still having no clue what to create, I decided to trim the stew beef cubes and maybe an idea would come to me, maybe.  Stew beef is essentially all the bit and pieces the butchers cut off steaks and roasts; sometimes there is a good bit of meat left, so they package it up for consumers to buy and make recipes such as chili, beef stew, maybe even kabobs.  However, you should always examine the beef before just throwing it into your pot, as many pieces may need to be trimmed of fat; some might be pure fat themselves.  If you do not want to deal with this process, then go ahead and purchase a nice lean roast and just cut it up into cubes.  With the beef I had, I needed to cut only a little fat off, but I planned on using a crock pot, so made sure they were of uniform size.

Looking around the pantry I found cans of red kidney beans; well just because I was adding beans did not make it chili, right?  These are the ingredients I finally centered on: barbecue sauce, beans, tomatoes, red onion and green bell pepper.  I was going to make a barbecue sauce-based beef stew, but without the traditional vegetables of carrots and potatoes.

Let me tell you that this concoction of mine came out amazing.  The beef was so tender, it basically melted in the mouth; and absorbed the barbecue sauce flavor well.  The tomatoes did not break down into complete mush; the onion and peppers became very soft; usually green bell peppers are harsh in flavor, but they melded in perfectly.  The beans did not become too soft, or remain too firm; as Goldilocks would say, "They were just right".  The smell was intoxicating; the taste was just as equal.  This is the kind of meal you can enjoy as is, or with a side of mashed potatoes, rice, pasta or polenta.  I did not have to add lots of seasonings, or even garlic, as the bottled sauce I used had everything I needed - Jack Daniels Hickory Brown Sugar.  I did not dredge the beef in the flour, then fry it as I did not want to add any more oil into this dish than the nonstick cooking spray added.  Also did not want additional liquids like beef stock as I knew the beef and vegetables would exude their own moisture.  One thing I notice with recipes like this is that the home cook will add pasta to the pot; all well and good, but remember that pasta is like a sponge and will absorb all excess liquids.  A yummy thick sauce was needed for this meal, not anything watery, or so firm a fork would stand up straight in it.

Here is the recipe...

 

BBQ Beef Stew

 

Ingredients:

2 ½ lbs. beef cubes; trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup flour

1 ½ cups chopped red onion

½ cup diced green bell pepper

1 cup red kidney beans

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 (19 oz.) bottle BBQ sauce (hickory brown sugar)

 

Preparation:

Spray a 4-quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray; set on low heat.  Spread beef cubes on bottom and sprinkle flour over all.  Spread other ingredients out in layers: onions, bell pepper, beans and tomatoes.  Pour BBQ sauce on top; cover and cook for 8 hours.

Makes 8 servings.

 

 

Recently, a good friend to our family, who was going out of town for a while, dropped off packages of elk, venison, beef and seafood.  Met this man when I worked, some time ago, at the San Juan Credit Union.  Basically, he took a good liking to Roy, and myself, simply due to, “You’re nice people, and always nice to me, and I want to be nice to you in return.”  Wow, if only this concept was felt, and exhibited, by more people.  Anyway, whenever he has an excess of stocked meat, or whatever, he makes sure to drop off a few packages our way.  Never asks for, or will take, anything in return; it is just what happens when being nice.

But I digress, my point is that my recipes in this article will work well with beef, elk or venison.  Cooking the same old, same old?  Now you can try out something new.  Oh, and have overstock?  Just be nice, and share with other nice people; it really will make you feel all warm and cozy inside your heart.

Mary Cokenour